Belts - general information thread

This is a discussion on Belts - general information thread within the Defensive Carry Holsters & Carry Options forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; I am hoping this thread ends up as a good resource, so perhaps with your contributions it will become just that.
I should have started ...

Belts - general information thread

I am hoping this thread ends up as a good resource, so perhaps with your contributions it will become just that.

I should have started this earlier when I was looking around for a holster/belt system, but since I bought my Crossbreed set up I have some questions.

The belts designed for carry of a firearm are a lot tougher than your standard off-the-shelf single layer leather belt (perhaps even the stitch reinforced variety - which I wore for years). There are also a lot of options for the custom made belts out there.

My first question is regarding leather types. There is cowhide, horse hide, bull hide, and some are layers of a couple. What is the difference between the types and why would one be a better choice over another? From what I gather Horse hide is more "dense", less abrasion prone, and doesn't wick moisture as well as other types. It also appears to be the stiffest. Does that stiffness make it more prone to cracking over time, or otherwise wearing out sooner?

Stiffeners. There are options with some gunleather makers for stiffeners in belts. What materials are frequently used? Are the stiffeners in between two leather layers? How much thickness do they add to the belt? Do they really offer a significant improvement to the durability of the belt? How do they otherwise compare to a leather belt with reinforcing stitching only?

I can only answer for how I make belts.
I use the backs of number 1 grade vegetable tanned leather. Which can be bull, steer or cow. My leather suppliers do not separate by gender or whatever. I use 2 layers of 6/7 ounce leather, glued and stitched together. The top layer is dyed and the inside layer is left natural. This makes a laminate belt almost one quarter of an inch thick. I believe the 2 layers glued and stitched does not stretch as much as a single layer of the same thickness.

Stiffeners. There are options with some gunleather makers for stiffeners in belts. What materials are frequently used? Are the stiffeners in between two leather layers? How much thickness do they add to the belt? Do they really offer a significant improvement to the durability of the belt? How do they otherwise compare to a leather belt with reinforcing stitching only?

Stiffeners are placed between the two pieces of leather and don't really add to the thickness of a quality belt. Do they offer a significant improvement? Mine will do this with my commander.

I can only answer for how I make belts.
I use the backs of number 1 grade vegetable tanned leather. Which can be bull, steer or cow. My leather suppliers do not separate by gender or whatever. I use 2 layers of 6/7 ounce leather, glued and stitched together. The top layer is dyed and the inside layer is left natural. This makes a laminate belt almost one quarter of an inch thick. I believe the 2 layers glued and stitched does not stretch as much as a single layer of the same thickness.

This is the ideal way. And, yes, the double layer is less stretchy because of the in-elastic stitching 'round the perimeter. Better than using a sueded liner, for example, which contributes nothing to stiffness.